AUXILIARY DEVICE

Abstract

An auxiliary device for use on clothes lines for improving the drying time of laundry hung on the clothes line. The device is a longitudinally extending body consisting of two constituent pieces, that are mirror images of one another. Deformable pins on one piece fit into recess holes on the other piece, so that the device can be snapped together. A groove is defined in the interior abutting face of each constituent piece, and a clothes line is receive in the groove. The body assumes the form of a polygon, such as a circle or ellipse, in lateral cross-section. Laundry is draped or hung over the exterior of the body of the auxiliary device so that lengths, or stretches, of the laundry are located parallel to, and spaced from, each other to facilitate drying.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims is a National Phase of PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/HU2010/000062, filed May 25, 2010, which claims priority to Hungarian Patent Application No. P0900586, filed Sep. 18, 2009, in the Hungarian Patent Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an auxiliary device for clothes lines for improving the drying time of laundry hung on the clothes line. The device comprises two complementary pieces with interior grooves for receiving the clothes line.

2. Description of the Related Art

Our everyday hygiene involves keeping clothes and other commonly used textiles, such as towels and bedclothes clean by washing and drying.

The prior art includes a great number of devices for drying clothes that usually focus on securing the laundry to the drying device. Several types of clothes pegs are known for this purpose (see e.g. GB 539611).

The drying of bulkier clothes poses significant problems caused on the one hand by their large surface area, and on the other hand, by the significantly increased drying times.

CN 201180233, for instance, discloses a multi-function clothes hanger that is capable of drying large-surface clothes in one of its operating positions.

Although drying times are shortened due to a relatively large surface exposed to the air, the disadvantage of this solution is its large footprint.

AU3304371 discloses a clothes peg arrangement that can be secured on the clothes line and can receive the clothes to be dried.

European patent specification EP 0882833 discloses a clothes drying stand having an upright post, with an expanding frame with several arms being mounted on the post, via support struts.

None of the above cited solutions address the problem of improving the air flow between the two parallelly hanging clothes surfaces by arranging the large-surface clothes on a conventional clothes line in a specific manner.

The prior art includes a number of solutions where the distance between the parallelly hanging clothes surfaces may be increased by applying an auxiliary device in order to improve the air flow between the clothes surfaces and thereby shorten the drying time.

Such solutions are disclosed in JP2006175190 and JP10127987.

The principal disadvantages of these solutions are that the surface region where the clothes are supported by the device is too narrow, and that the lightweight clothes line may easily slip out from the line-receiving portion of the device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the present invention is therefore to provide an auxiliary device that circumvents the disadvantages of known devices by providing an adequate support surface for the clothes to be dried.

Such objective of the invention is accomplished by providing an auxiliary device that comprises a groove for receiving the clothes line, and constituent pieces, or components, adapted for keeping the parallelly hanging stretches of drying clothes at a predetermined distance from each other. The auxiliary device is characterized by a regular, or irregular, polygonal, circular or elliptic prism shaped body, constituted by two constituent pieces, each constituent piece having a groove for receiving a clothes line.

A preferred embodiment of the auxiliary device, according to the invention, has mirror-symmetrical, regular or irregular polygonal, circular or elliptical prism shaped constituent pieces.

The first constituent piece or component of the auxiliary device according to the invention has a groove adapted for receiving the clothes line, pins arranged above the groove in a predetermined spacing distance, in a single row, and pins arranged in an aligned manner in two rows extending along the portion below the groove parallelly with each other and with the row of pins disposed above the groove. The second constituent piece has a groove for receiving the clothes line, and recess holes arranged above and below the groove identically to the pins of the first constituent piece, and adapted for receiving said pins.

The pins of the first constituent piece of the auxiliary device according to the invention have a head portion capable of undergoing elastic deformation, and the device is made from plastic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 shows the perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the auxiliary device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is the perspective view of the first constituent piece of the auxiliary device of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is the perspective view of the second constituent piece of the auxiliary device of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is the perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the auxiliary device according to the invention,

FIG. 5 is the perspective view of the first constituent piece of the auxiliary device of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is the perspective view of the second constituent piece of the auxiliary device of FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 shows the perspective view of the third preferred embodiment of the auxiliary device according to the invention,

FIG. 8 is the perspective view of the first constituent piece of the auxiliary device of FIG. 7,

FIG. 9 is the perspective view of the second constituent piece of the auxiliary device of FIG. 7,

FIG. 10 shows the perspective view of the fourth preferred embodiment of the auxiliary device according to the invention,

FIG. 11 is the perspective view of the first constituent piece of the auxiliary device of FIG. 10,

FIG. 12 is the perspective view of the second constituent piece of the auxiliary device of FIG. 10,

FIG. 13 shows the front view of the fifth preferred embodiment of the auxiliary device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows the perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the auxiliary device according to the invention in its essentially finished or assembled state, placed on or secured to a clothes line 5.

The auxiliary device 1 consists of two constituent pieces 2, 3. Each piece has a groove 4 for receiving the clothes line 5 and constitutes an elongated body, that in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, assumes the shape of a cylindrical body.

Thanks to their mirror-symmetrical configuration, the constituent pieces 2, 3 form the two body halves of the cylindrical body.

In the facing surfaces of the constituent pieces 2, 3 a groove 4 is disposed at the top portion—the portion above the median plane—of the pieces for receiving the clothes line 5.

FIG. 2 shows the first constituent piece 2. A row of uniformly spaced pins 8 is disposed above the groove 4, while on the portion below the groove 4 two further parallel rows of uniformly spaced pins 9 are disposed. The pins 9 are aligned with the pins 8 in the upper portion of constituent piece 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates the second constituent piece 3 of the auxiliary device 1.

The second constituent piece 3 has a matching groove 4 and recess holes 7 in the portion above the groove 4 for receiving the pins 8 of the first constituent piece 2. Also recess holes 6 are formed in the portion of constituent piece 3 below the groove 4 for receiving the rows of pins 9 of the first constituent piece 2.

The diameter of the head portion of the pins 8, 9 of the first constituent piece 2 is slightly larger than the diameter of the recess holes 7 of the second constituent piece 3. Consequently, the auxiliary device 1 can be placed on the clothes line 5 by first inserting the line 5 into the groove 4 of one of the constituent pieces 2, 3, and then closing or joining together the constituent pieces 2, 3. As the constituent pieces 2, 3 are moved closer to each other, the pins 8, 9 of the constituent piece 2 enter the recess holes 6, 7 of the constituent piece 3. Under a slightly larger force, the head portions of the pins 8, 9 undergoes elastic deformation and provides a tight press fit in the recess holes 6, 7. After the constituent pieces 2, 3 have been snapped together, the clothes line 5 is retained in the grooves 4 of the constituent pieces 2, 3 such that the device is capable of rotating about the clothes line 5.

After the desired number of auxiliary device or devices 1 have been put on the clothes line 5, laundry—usually bulkier pieces of laundry, like towels, bedding, etc.—is placed on the devices 1. The lateral dimensions of device 1 provides an increased distance—that depends on the diameter of the auxiliary device 1—between the two parallel surfaces of clothes hanging on two sides of the clothes line 5. Thereby the air flow between the clothes hung on the line is improved and drying time is shortened. Dried clothes may also be removed more easily, because they can be simply pulled off the clothes line 5 fitted with the auxiliary device by grabbing them at one side of clothes line 5. The auxiliary device 1 may rotate about the line 5. In addition to easier drying, the application of the auxiliary device 1 is advantageous also for it can prevent the phenomenon of the clothes line leaving a trace, in the form of a hardened narrow streak, on the dried clothes. Ironing the clothes dried on the auxiliary device may also become unnecessary.

FIG. 4 illustrates a second embodiment of the auxiliary device according to the invention mounted on a clothes line 15. The auxiliary device 11 is produced by snapping together the constituent pieces 12, 13 shown in FIGS. 5, 6. Pins 18, 19 and recess holes 16, 17 adapted for receiving the pins 18, 19, as well as grooves 14 adapted for receiving the clothes line 15, are disposed on adjacent surfaces of the constituent pieces 12, 13 The arrangement of the grooves, pins, and holes are identical to that previously described in relation to FIGS. 1-3.

The auxiliary device 11 is a regular body with an elliptic cross-sectional shape, the outer surfaces of constituent pieces 12, 13 being correspondent to this shape.

The embodiment of the auxiliary device 21 shown in FIG. 7 is a polygonal prism formed by the constituent pieces 22, 23 illustrated in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, respectively.

The constituent pieces 22, 23 have a mirror-symmetrical configuration, with grooves 24 for receiving a clothes line 25, pins 28, 29 adapted for securing together the constituent pieces 22, 23, and recess holes 26, 27 adapted for receiving the pins 28, 29 being disposed on their adjacent faces.

FIG. 10 illustrates a fourth preferred embodiment of the auxiliary device according to the invention in a completed or assembled state, mounted on a clothes line 35.

The principal configuration of the auxiliary device 31 is that of a triangular prism where the points of the triangle are rounded off. The device consists of two constituent pieces 32, 33 having a generally triangular prismatic shape with a right angled triangle base, where the groove 34 for receiving the clothes line 35 is disposed near the point or apex of the triangle.

In addition to groove 34, the adjacent faces of the constituent pieces 32, 33 comprise pins 38, 39 as well as recess holes 36, 37 for receiving the pins 38, 39. The auxiliary device 31 arrangement shown in FIG. 10 is even better suited for increasing the spacing between the parallelly hanging surfaces of drying clothes, as the auxiliary device 31 has a shape that is conical and extends under the clothes line 35.

A fifth preferred embodiment of the auxiliary device according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 13. The constituent pieces 42, 43 forming the body of the auxiliary device 41 are made from plastic. The two constituent pieces 42, 43 are joined above the groove 44 receiving the clothes line 45 to form a single piece or body after the two pieces are snapped together following the insertion of the clothes line 45 in the groove 44.

The main advantage of the auxiliary device according to the invention is to provide improved support for clothes hung on the clothesline, as well as better air flow between the surfaces, and thereby shorter drying times for the clothes can be achieved. Also, the line leaves no “imprint” on the dried clothes, diminishing the need for ironing.

Other modifications and revisions to applicant's auxiliary device are possible, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Consequently, the appended claims should be broadly construed, and should not be limited to their literal terms.

Claims

1-5. (canceled)

6. An auxiliary device for securing laundry to a clothes line, said device comprising:

a) a first and a second constituent piece,

b) each piece including an elongated body,

c) a groove formed in said first piece and a corresponding groove formed in said second piece,

d) said grooves extending longitudinally through said body,

e) pins arranged in rows above and below said groove on said first piece,

f) recess holes arranged above and below said groove on said second piece,

g) said pins fitting into said recesses when said first and said second constituent pieces are joined together so that a clothes lines is retained within said grooves in said elongated body.

7. The auxiliary device as claimed in claim 6 wherein each pin include a head portion capable of undergoing elastic deformation.

8. The auxiliary device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said pins on said first constituent piece are arranged in parallel rows extending along the longitudinal dimension of said piece.

9. The auxiliary device as claimed in claim 8 wherein one row of pins is located above the groove, and two rows of pins are located below the groove in said first constituent piece.

10. The auxiliary device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first and second pieces are identical in shape, and are mirror images of one another.

11. The auxiliary device as claimed in claim 10 wherein the lateral cross-section of each constituent piece is polygonal in shape.

12. The auxiliary device as claimed in claim 11 wherein the polygonal shape of the constituent pieces may be a circle or an eclipse or a triangle.

13. The auxiliary device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first constituent piece includes an interior face, and said second constituent piece includes an interior face, the interior faces contacting each other when said device is assembled.

14. The auxiliary device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said device is formed of a plastic material.